The Ultimate Installing French Doors Quiz

The grandeur and elegance of French doors makes them well worth the investment. Rather than increasing your cost by hiring a professional to install them, you might want to try doing it yourself. You'll find the project is relatively simple. First, though, take our quiz to learn everything you'll need to know to install French doors.

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Question 1 of 15

What is the main difference between French doors and regular doors?

French doors are manufactured in France.

French doors have large glass panes that let in a lot of light.

Unlike solid wood or metal doors, French doors are double doors with a large pane of glass that runs much of the length of each door. They let it a lot more light than regular doors will.

French doors are made of French Oak.

Question 2 of 15

Many people prefer French doors over sliding doors for what reason?

French doors are less expensive than sliding doors.

French doors take up less space than sliding doors.

French doors are more elegant than sliding doors.

The elegance of French doors is their greatest appeal. Even though they are more expensive, people prefer them to sliding glass doors.

Question 3 of 15

At one time French doors were thought to be a security problem for which of these reasons?

French doors don't lock.

French doors don't have a center jam.

French doors close toward each other, which means that have no center jam. Until recent lock improvements, many people considered French doors a security risk.

The glass panes of French doors can be easily removed.

Question 4 of 15

Where in a house are French doors most often placed?

the exit to the patio

You will most often find French doors leading out to the patio, but they can work between certain rooms as well.

between the living room and dining room

the entrance to the master bedroom

Question 5 of 15

Which of these safety features is essential when installing French doors?

rubber gloves

safety glasses

Always wear safety glasses when installing French doors. You will be working will many nails and screws, not to mention glass.

knee pads

Question 6 of 15

Which of these tasks should you always leave to a professional?

You should hire a professional to cut a new opening into a wall.

Cutting into the walls of a house requires very careful planning. You have to avoid support beams, electrical wiring, and plumbing. If you need to cut a new opening for your French doors, call a professional.

You should hire a professional to install the hinges.

You should hire a professional to polish the brass door knobs.

Question 7 of 15

French doors tend to cost about how much money?

hundreds of dollars

thousands of dollars

While the cost of French doors varies greatly, based on material and design, they are often thousands of dollars.

tens of thousands of dollars

Question 8 of 15

Which of these common occurrences could require you to reinstall your French doors.

The house might settle.

If your house settles, it could cause the alignment of your door frames to shift. If this happens to your French doors, you will have no choice but to reinstall them.

The doors might swell.

The walls might collapse.

Question 9 of 15

To protect your home from the elements, you should take care to do which of these when installing your French doors?

Keep the doors closed at all times.

Seal the openings of the doorframe.

Once the doors have been properly installed, you should make sure that they, the frame, and the trim are properly sealed.

Insulate the doors.

Question 10 of 15

The first step to installing French doors is to do what?

Remove the old frame.

Before you begin installing the new door frame, you must make sure the old frame has been totally removed. Be careful to remove all screws and nails that kept the old frame in place.

Measure the opening.

Paint the frame.

Question 11 of 15

What tools should you use to remove a door frame?

hammer and nails

hammer and pry bar

To remove the old frame you will use a pry bar, which you will tap into place with a hammer. Be careful not to damage the wall and the trim during this process.

hammer and sickle

Question 12 of 15

Once you have removed the old frame, you must make sure the opening is what?

perfectly square

If the opening for doors is not properly square -- 90 degree angles only -- French doors will be not sit squarely in the frame, and will not close properly.

properly painted

clean and disinfected

Question 13 of 15

What tools should you use to make sure the opening is square?

a level and a carpenter's square

You must use a level to make sure the lines are parallel with the floor, and a carpenter's square to make sure the angles are 90 degrees.

a tape measure and yard stick

square and compass

Question 14 of 15

What will you use to keep the frame in place during installation?

nails

shims

During installation you will use shims to keep the frame in place. Once you've finished you will screw the frame into the walls, and remove the shims.

glue

Question 15 of 15

Before screwing the frame into place you should do which of these?

Test the doors to make sure they open and close properly.

You should make sure the frame is set such that the doors open and close without interference or resistance. Only then will you screw the frame in place.